Electrical condenser



Dec. 10, 1940. A T. CHAPMAN 2,224,288

ELECTRICAL coNDENsER Filed Jan. 19, 1939 UAW 3l 3] /235 F C ll n 5 32 IX I :Xl I r I l I X I L. I I a I 33 w I I l .u \a5 .33/ F/G. 6

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6R mmm A 7` TURA/E V Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEELECTRICAL CONDENSER Application January 19, 1939, Serial No. 251,745

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical condensers, and more particularlyto electrical condensers of the type having laminae of mica withadherent films of metal.

Condensers of the general type referred to, especially in small sizes,find innumerable applications in the electrical arts. Because of theirslightness of structure and fragility diflculties are sometimesencountered in providing suitable means for including in their structureappropriate members to act as electrical terminals or as mechanicalsupports or simultaneously as both.

An objecty of the present invention is to provide a construction for anda method of making electrical condensers to have members included'therein to act as electrical terminals or as mechanical supports orsimultaneously yas both, with` a minimum of structural elements and ofvolume occupied.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention may beembodied in a condenser comprising one or more sheets or laminae ofdielectric material such as mica, each provided with one or more closelyadherent superficial films of metal on its surfaces and stackedtogether, a clamping member having a body of substantially C-shapedcross-section embracing an edge of the stack of metal filmed laminae,and an elongated member such as a wire or rod of metal or ofsubstantially rigid non-metallic material embraced and clamped withinthe clamping member.

Other objects and features of the invention will clearly appear from thefollowing detailed description of embodiments thereof taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which the same referencenumerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures and inwhich Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of an electrical condenser in amolded housing and constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 3--3 of Fig. 1 and somewhat enlarged;

Fig. 4 is a detached plan view of another form of condenser without thehousing;

Fig, 5 is a detached plan view of a third form of condenser without thehousing:

Fig. 6 is a sectionon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and i Fig. 7 is a,schematic view of the working sur-- faces of a tool employed in makingthe con- -densern (Cl. 17E-41) 1 This invention is closely related tothe invenl denser proper, generally indicated at 30, and 10 sealed intoa block or housing 32 of suitable material, e. g. Bakelite moldeddirectly on and around the condenser, with the terminal members 3iprotruding thereupon.

The condenser proper comprises one or more 15 sheets or laminae34 ofdielectric material of which one or more are each provided with a film35 of metal closely adherent to its faces. These larninae are stackedtogether and a strip 36 of relatively soft metal is folded around the 20superimposed edges forming one face of 'the stack, and if necessary alsobetween these edges in the manner disclosed in the copending applicationidentified above. A clamp 31 having a body of C-shaped cross-sectionembraces the superimposed edges and folded metal strips and also aportion of the terminal member 3l, which latter extends through aperforation in the clamp 31.

Some squeezing tool, hammer or the like, preferably with a working facesuch as illustrated at 38 in Fig. 7, is applied to the body 3l tocompress this and its contents, and to lock the compressed partstogether, thus making the permanent assembly 35 disclosed in Figs. 2 and3.

It is to be particularly noted that, especially in the sectionalfigures, the thickness dimensions of the rica 34. the metal mms a5, thestrips se and the clamp bodies 31, have been strongly exag- 4o geratedrelatively to the other dimensions in the figures. A typical structuresuch as shown in Fig. 2 might have a width and height ofthe order of11/2 to 2 inches, while in Fig. 3 the true thickness of the mica laminae34 would be of the order of 45 0.0010 to 0.0015 inch, that of the foil36 of the order of 0.0005 to 0.0010 inch, and the thickness of l theclamp body `31 is of the order of 0.015 inch, while the thickness of themetal films 35 may range from a relatively few molecules to some- Theterminal member shown at each end of the condenser proper in Figs. 1, 2and 3 may be a piece of wire of any suitable metal. If suilicientlypliers, press, stamp, 30

assembling operation justv described and thus still more securely lockedin place. If the terminals 3| are of hard and rigid material, to providestiff mechanical supporting means as well as electrical connections, thewire will preferably be pre-flattened over the portion 38 before `beinginserted into the body 31 for assembly;

The use of this general construction of the condenser and thisparticular construction for the form and mounting of the terminalsenables the provision of a considerable variety of useful forms ofsupport and terminals, of which typical samples are shown intheremainingilgures. Thus Fig. 4 shows a condenser identical with thecondenser 30 in all ways except in the terminal members |3I. yHere theseare straight wires or rods passing through the condenser from side toside and through the clamps 31 from end to' end, thus 1 permitting thecondenser to be bridged across two -circuits by simply inserting oneterminallnto" each. y

Figs. 5 and 6 show a somewhat more elaborateA fi and complex structure.Here there are shownl r two independent metal lms 235 and 335 on theartiilcial resins or other moldable plastics such as Bakelite orCellophane, or for other purposes the pressure of the soft strip 36inter-leaving the laminae and cushioning them at points of pressure ofthe clamps would permit the use of glass laminae.

The embodiments herein disclosed are illustrative and may be variouslymodified and departed from without departing from the spirit 45 andscope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical condenser comprising a plurality of rigid laminae ofdielectric material stacked 50 together in a pile, a metal member oneach face of each lamina to act as a condenser plate, a thin strip ofsoft metal extending across 4one face of the pile and formed with a flatloop extending between adjacent faces of adjacent laminae and 55 theremaking electrical contact with the conaszacee soft, the wire will benattened'as at n by the` denser plate members on' the said faces andthesaidrstrip being further folded over tha-buter 'faces'.of the outerlaminae of the pile; arigid 'metal clamping member having 1 a "body ofC-shaped rcross-section and enclosingand clamping together-the strip andthe edge portions-of the pile 'of-laminae over which the strip extendsand making electrical-contact withrthe strip,= and an elongated metalterminal member having Iaportion contained in the clamping member` bodyparallel to the io1dy thereof so that the-'terminal member is rigidlyheld by the clamping member `both inelectrical connection withlthe'condenser .ing relationto the laminae, the terminal member extendingout beyond the clamping member` *in two directions from the portion 01'v131,2terminal member held inv the clamping meinber- 'Y' t v2.;electrical 'condenser comprisinga plurale f-ity pflrigidllaminae ofdielectric materialustacked `;tcfgetherin a pile, a metal memberfnnjeach face of; each' lamina to act asa .condenser jplate; ga thin rvstrip of soft metal extending across'cnetace of 1 Ithe. pile and formedwith a ilat loop extending between adjacent faces of adjacent laminaeandthere making electrical contact with the condenser plate members on thesaid faces and the saidv stripbeing further folded over the outer facesof the outer laminae of thepile, a" rigid metal` clamping member havinga body. of C-shaped cross-section and enclosing and clamping togetherthe strip and the edgeportions of the pile of laminae over which thestrip extends and making electrical contact with `the strip, and anelongatedfmetal terminal member having a portion contained in theclamping member body parallel to the fold thereof so that the terminalmember is rigidly held by theA clamping member both in electricalconnection with the condenser plate member and in fixed mechanicallysupporting relation to the lamina,y the terminal member extending outbeyond the clamping member in two directions from the portion of theterminal member heldin the clampingmember. in combination with a secondlike arrangement on another face of the pile of a soft metal strip and arigid C-shaped metal clamping and a terminal member held in andextending out in two directions from the clamping member, the partsbeing so proportioned and arranged that the condenser may be bridgedacross two electrical circuits by connecting the two ends of the oneterminalmember in the one circuit and the two ends of the other terminalmember in the other circuit.

' ALAN T. CHAPMAN.

